RE: Invasive or not?

Annie and Alessandra,

I remember seeing this growing all over the island in
Crete when I was there in May, 2000.  It did appear to
be growing in situations where it appeared wild,
rather than planted, but I couldn't say for sure.  As
the plant does come from China, and not a
mediterranean climate, I would suspect that it does
need some summer moisture to get established from
seed.  At least here in northern California, it
doesn't appear to have established a foothold along
creeks, and would be less likely to do so if the
berries are not attractive to birds.  I tend to
associate this tree with areas of summer heat, and
rarely see it here in the cooler, foggy summers of the
inner SF Bay Area, but it was much more often planted
up in Davis and Sacramento, Ca.  I would vote for
selling the tree, but letting people know that it is
potentially invasive with the right circumstances of
climate and seasonal moisture.

As to the Retama, I have also admired the plant at
Strybing, and also remember seeing this growing wild
in  Portugal, in association with Nerium oleander. 
Perhaps asking Don Mahoney at Strybing could give you
more info on the reseeding characteristics of this
locally.  A beautiful graceful growing shrub with
lovely linear quality and texture, and rather demure
bloom, I would love to have some planted against a
blank wall, to really feature its best qualities.

PS Annie, the herbaceous perennial Streptocarpus with
the nearly constant year round bloom at Strybing was
formerly known as Streptocarpella and now named S.
glandulosissima, (per Don Mahoney).  I have seen this
plant at all seasons, and it is never out of bloom! 
Regarding the seed viability of Ageratum corymbosum
and Bartlettina sordidum, (again per Don Mahoney),
both these plants germinate best from two year old
seed, as do many others in the Ageratum family...

Enjoying the arrival of summer here, and off to
botanize in the cloudforests of Oaxaca for a week, and
hopefully improve my spanish!




--- "Vinciguerra, Alessandra"
<A.Vinciguerra@aarome.org> wrote:
>  Dear Annie, 
> 
> To the best of my knowledge, birds never eat Melia's
> berries. I think I
> already mentioned this anedocte on this list some
> time ago: Lady Walton
> (creator and owner of the gardens La Mortella in
> Italy) always says that in
> Argentina (where she was born) Melia is considered
> the ideal  patio plant,
> because you can sit underneath its foliage without
> ever riskinbg birds
> droppings... So it seems that birds know better. 
> 
> Actually, the berries remain on the branches for
> quite a long time, and
> eventually they just fall. So it should be easy to
> dispose of them, avoiding
> self-seeding. I think this tree can be a risk only
> in areas with plenty of
> moisture and rainfall, not in mediterranean areas,
> where, on the contrary, I
> find its flowers, and the shade its floiage offers,
> quite pleasant and
> recommendable.
> 
> Best,
> Alessandra
> 
>  
> 


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